Uncoupling effect of fatty acids in halo- and alkalotolerant bacterium Bacillus pseudofirmus FTU.

Natural uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, long-chain non-esterified fatty acids, cause uncoupling in the alkalo- and halotolerant bacterium Bacillus pseudofirmus FTU. The uncoupling effect in the bacterial cells was manifested as decrease of membrane potential and increase of respiratory activity. The membrane potential decrease was detected only in bacterial cells exhausted by their endogenous substrates. In proteoliposomes containing reconstituted bacterial cytochrome c oxidase, fatty acids caused a "mild" uncoupling effect by reducing membrane potential only at low rate of membrane potential generation. "Free respiration" induced by the "mild" uncouplers, the fatty acids, can be considered as possible mechanism responsible for adaptation of the bacteria to a constantly changed environment.

Cyclosporin A-sensitive decrease in the transmembrane potential across the inner membrane of liver mitochondria induced by low concentrations of fatty acids and Ca2+.

At low Ca2+ concentrations the pore of the inner mitochondrial membrane can open in substates with lower permeability (Hunter, D. R., and Haworth, R. A. (1979) Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 195, 468-477). Recently, we showed that Ca2+ loading of mitochondria augments the cyclosporin A-dependent decrease in transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi) across the inner mitochondrial membrane caused by 10 micro M myristic acid but does not affect the stimulation of respiration by this fatty acid. We have proposed that in our experiments the pore opened in a substate with lower permeability rather than in the "classic" state (Bodrova, M. E., et al. (2000) IUBMB Life, 50, 189-194). Here we show that under conditions lowering the probability of "classic pore" opening in Ca2+-loaded mitochondria myristic acid induces the cyclosporin A-sensitive DeltaPsi decrease and mitochondrial swelling more effectively than uncoupler SF6847 does, though their protonophoric activities are equal. In the absence of P(i) and presence of succinate and rotenone (with or without glutamate) cyclosporin A either reversed or only stopped DeltaPsi decrease induced by 5 micro M myristic acid and 5 micro M Ca2+. In the last case nigericin, when added after cyclosporin A, reversed the DeltaPsi decrease, and the following addition of EGTA produced only a weak (if any) DeltaPsi increase. In P(i)-containing medium (in the presence of glutamate and malate) cyclosporin A reversed the DeltaPsi decrease. These data show that the cyclosporin A-sensitive decrease in DeltaPsi by low concentrations of fatty acids and Ca2+ cannot be explained by specific uncoupling effect of fatty acid. We propose that: 1) low concentrations of Ca2+ and fatty acid induce the pore opening in a substate with a selective cation permeability, and the cyclosporin A-sensitive DeltaPsi decrease results from a conversion of DeltaPsi to pH gradient due to the electrogenic cation transport in mitochondria; 2) the ADP/ATP-antiporter is involved in this process; 3) higher efficiency of fatty acid compared to SF6847 in the Ca2+-dependent pore opening seems to be due to its interaction with the nucleotide-binding site of the ADP/ATP-antiporter and higher affinity of fatty acids to cations.

Generation of transmembrane electrical potential during NADH oxidation via the external pathway and the fatty acid uncoupling effect after transient opening of the Ca2+-dependent cyclosporin A-sensitive pore in liver mitochondria.

The effects of transient pore opening on generation of the transmembrane gradient of electrical potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane (DeltaPsi) induced by NADH oxidation through the external pathway as well as on the uncoupling effect of fatty acids were studied. The pore opening was monitored by changes in the DeltaPsi value. The cycle of pore opening/closing was found to have only an insignificant effect on the sensitivity of DeltaPsi to fatty acid uncoupling. Once this cycle is over, NADH oxidation in the presence of exogenous cytochrome c results in generation of DeltaPsi. In the absence of cytochrome c, the generation of DeltaPsi induced by oxidation of exogenous NADH is observed if the incubation medium pH has been decreased from 7.4 to 7.0. The generation of DeltaPsi was inhibited by cyclosporin A. In isotonic salt medium containing 125 mM KCl, the maximum level of DeltaPsi generated by exogenous NADH after the cycle of pore opening/closing was significantly lower than the maximum level of DeltaPsi generated in hypotonic incubation medium. The data obtained in this work suggest that the cycle of pore opening/closing has little if any effect on the energy coupling in liver mitochondria, whereas the external pathway of NADH oxidation activated by this cycle may support the energy-dependent functions of liver mitochondria.

Role of the ADP/ATP-antiporter in fatty acid-induced uncoupling of Ca2+-loaded rat liver mitochondria.

We show that Ca2+ loading of mitochondria substantially augments the myristate-induced decrease in the transmembrane electric potential difference (deltapsi). Such a Ca2+ action is without effect on the respiration rate and is not accompanied by the high-amplitude swelling when low concentrations of Ca2+ and myristate are used. The myristate-induced deltapsi decrease is prevented and reversed by cyclosporin A (CsA); the decrease is prevented and transiently reversed by nigericin. To explain these effects, we suggest that myristate induces opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore at a low-conductance state. Addition of carboxyatractylate (CAtr) after myristate induces the CsA-sensitive uncoupling, but when added after myristate and CsA, CAtr produces a decrease in deltapsi, if the interval between myristate and CsA addition is sufficiently long. The CAtr effect is completely reversed by EGTA and transiently reversed by nigericin. This suggests that the ADP/ATP-antiporter participates in the CsA-sensitive uncoupling when present as a pore complex constituent. ADP/ATP-antiporter that does not take part in the pore complex formation is involved in the CsA-insensitive uncoupling.

Membrane potential generation coupled to oxidation of external NADH in liver mitochondria.

Oxidation of added NADH by rat liver mitochondria has been studied. It is found that exogenous NADH, when oxidized by rat liver mitochondria in sucrose hypotonic medium supplemented with Mg2+ and EGTA, generates a membrane potential (delta psi) even in the absence of added cytochrome c. ADP and phosphate decrease delta psi, the effect being reversed by oligomycin. Rotenone and myxothiazol do not inhibit delta psi generated by oxidation of exogenous NADH. Added cytochrome c increases the rate of the exogenous NADH oxidation and coupled delta psi formation. In sucrose isotonic medium, or in hypotonic medium without Mg2+, exogenous NADH fails to stimulate respiration and to form a membrane potential. In the presence of Mg2+, exogenous NADH appears to be effective in delta psi generation in isotonic sucrose medium if mitochondria were treated with digitonin. In isotonic KCl without Mg2+, oxidation of exogenous NADH is coupled to the delta psi formation and MgCl2 addition before mitochondria prevents this effect. In hypotonic (but not in isotonic) sucrose medium, Mg2+ makes a portion of the cytochrome c pool reducible by exogenous NADH or ascorbate. It is assumed that (i) hypotonic treatment or digitonin causes disruption of the outer mitochondrial membrane, and, as a consequence, desorption of the membrane-bound cytochrome c in a Mg2+-dependent fashion; (ii) incubation in isotonic KCI without Mg2+ results in swelling of mitochondrial matrix, disruption of the outer membrane and cytochrome c desorption whereas Mg2+ lowers the K+ permeability of the inner membrane and, hence, prevents swelling; (iii) desorbed cytochrome c is reduced by added NADH via NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 or by ascorbate and is oxidized by cytochrome oxidase. The role of desorbed cytochrome c in oxidation of superoxide and cytoplasmic NADH as well as possible relations of these events to apoptosis are discussed.

[Participation of the ADP/ATP-antiporter in the uncoupling action of fatty acids in liver mitochondria]. / Uchastie ATP/ADP-antiportera v razobshchaiushchem deistvii zhirnykh kislot v mitokhondriiakh pecheni.

The controversial data on the involvement of the ATP/ADP-antiporter in the uncoupling effect of fatty acids in liver mitochondria as well as on the sensitivity of the uncoupling process to the ATP/ADP-antiporter inhibitor, carboxyatractylate, have been analyzed. It has been shown that in liver mitochondria uncoupled by palmitic acid, pyridoxal-5-phosphate, diethyl pyrocarbonate and glutamate produce an additional recoupling action against the background of carboxyatractylate. No such effect is observed during mitochondrial uncoupling by FCCP. Micromolar concentrations of ADP added prior to palmitic acid produce a far more potent coupling action; the subsequent recoupling effect of carboxyatractylate diminishes thereby. This finding suggests that the reduction of endogenous ADP is responsible for the increased sensitivity of the uncoupling action of fatty acids to carboxyatractylate. It is concluded that the ATP/ADP-antiporter and other membrane carriers play a role in the uncoupling action of fatty acids on liver mitochondria.